Ripper Beams

I just noticed something. I wanted to check all weapons using a high tech start. But when I got to ship design there were no ripper beams! I know they are there because in my game I already researched them and see them in the design screen. Why are they not present in high tech, which has everything researched ???

[Omega]

They are in fact there. You need to turn off the “only latest” option in order to see them. They are in the same weapon family as the wave motion gun. The incinerator beam is the same way.

[Lisif Deoral]

For some reasons, ripper beams (and incinirator beams) are "made obsolete" by Wave Motion Guns. Switch off "only latest" view and you'll find the rippers.

P.S.: Good timing, Omega Next time we'll have to use the same words

[This message has been edited by Lisif (edited 09 June 2001).]

Thanks. I didn't think of that. I guess it was a dumb question.

[Alpha Kodiak]

This is frustrating in AI design, since ripper beams and WMGs have significantly different characteristics, but you can't tell the AI to use ripper beams or incinerator beams on a design once you have WMGs, and conversly, you can't tell the AI to use some other long range weapon until you have WMGs researched. At least unless someone else has figured out something I haven't.

[Droplede]

Anybody played with separating ripper and incinerator beams from the WMG research chain? It seems like a good idea, given their totally different ranges and reload rates. Perhaps creating a new base research area at the same level (and total eventual cost) as rippers, that then leads to WMGs?

Of course, it's a tech mod, so massive AI rejiggering would have to ensue. So maybe it's not worth it.